‘Dying a slow death’: Russia mocks Trump’s peace plan as Putin ally threatens to seize all of Ukraine

Russia has rejected a peace plan linked to Donald Trump, calling it a failure and saying it is not likely to work. A major Russian newspaper, Moskovskij Komsomolets, published an article arguing that the plan, which was once seen as important because of Trump’s supposed influence with Moscow, is now useless and close to collapsing.

According to Express, the newspaper’s analysis said that while Trump’s involvement at first helped talks between Russia and Ukraine, the current situation makes it unlikely the peace effort will succeed. The article doubted the plan’s future, suggesting even Trump would soon realize it was pointless.

Adding to the doubts about the peace plan, Dmitry Medvedev, a close ally of Putin and Deputy Chair of Russia’s Security Council, shared a map on X. The map showed almost all of Ukraine under Russian control, with only a small area near the Polish border still under Ukrainian rule. Medvedev’s post, which included comments about Western military aid to Ukraine, was a clear sign of Russia’s goals and a direct refusal of any Western proposals for a peace deal that would keep Ukraine independent.

Russia is planning to take all of Ukraine

The background of the proposed peace plan includes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s earlier willingness to agree to a one-month ceasefire. However, President Putin has shown almost no interest in direct peace talks, choosing instead to send lower-level officials to negotiations. Western countries, including Britain and France, along with a group of about 30 nations, have suggested a different plan involving a buffer zone between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

This buffer zone could be monitored by international troops, possibly including soldiers from Britain and other Western countries. Medvedev’s map directly opposed this idea, showing a situation where Russia controls almost all of the proposed buffer zone. Trump, reacting to the ongoing war and Russia’s continued attacks, said he was unhappy with Putin’s actions, stating he did not support the missile strikes hitting Ukrainian cities and civilians.

Trump also posted on social media that Putin’s behavior had become unpredictable and warned that Russia’s ambitions might lead to its own collapse. These comments mark a change from Trump’s past statements when he often spoke more favorably about Putin during his presidency.

Trump posted on Truth Social, “I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY! He is needlessly killing a lot of people, and I’m not just talking about soldiers. Missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever.”

This comes after Trump said he was disappointed in Putin for earlier strikes, and Russia still getting what it wanted. The Kremlin responded to Trump’s remarks by suggesting his harsh criticism came from an emotional reaction to the difficulties of the war. The Kremlin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said Trump’s comments about Putin’s mental state were driven by emotion and the general stress of the conflict. Peskov stressed that Putin’s actions are necessary to protect Russia’s security interests.

Following these events, Ukraine’s Western allies are getting ready to impose more sanctions on Russia. Meanwhile, the US government has said it will keep trying to mediate peace talks but may stop if Russia does not show real interest in a negotiated solution.